Top tips for managing your mental wellbeing
When it comes to mental health, there’s a sliding scale from wellness to illness that we can all move up and down at any time. We’ve gathered some tips from our staff around the country on ways we can improve our mental health, just as we would our physical health. The wellbeing of our staff is a huge focus at FitzRoy, as building strong and supportive staff teams in our services has a huge impact on the culture and quality of support we are able to provide.
FitzRoy’s Mental Health Lead Kim Knights said: “You can ask yourself: How do I feel today mentally and physically? How’s my thinking – am I having unhelpful thoughts? How full is my stress bucket and am I using helpful coping strategies? Am I looking after my physical wellbeing? Think of it as a ‘mental health MOT’ to assess how you’re doing and to prevent yourself sliding down that scale.”
Coventry-based service manager Tracy Gibson-Whent shared her top tips: “One of the most simple and effective things you can do is to just step outside and focus on your breathing for a few minutes.”
Remember that there’s nothing selfish about taking time to look after yourself. Focusing on what keeps us happy and well makes us stronger, happier people, and more able to support others in turn.
“Taking the time to stop and really listen to someone, without judgement, can have a hugely positive impact.”
A number of our services now have individual wellness plans in place for staff. Nottingham-based service manager Chloe Asher explained: “Wellness plans help us to support our staff better. The plan tells us what that person is like on a good day, and the signs that they’re having a bad day and what we can do to support them then. They’re live documents, so either of us can update them at any time – sometimes it’s easier for other people to notice changes in our behaviour than it is to spot them ourselves.”
Nicola Astle, who manages several of our Nottingham mental health services, shared her thoughts: “It’s so important to have a positive relationship with your staff, so they feel safe to talk to you when they need support. I have an open door policy, so my team can find me at any time if they need a chat.
“My deputy, Callum, is also one of FitzRoy’s team of Mental Health First Aiders and we make sure the team know they can talk to our area manager or regional manager too.
“I’ve noticed that people are generally more comfortable talking openly about their mental health since the pandemic, and that’s such a good thing. I remind my team that it’s not a weakness if you’re having a tough day and you need someone to tag you out for ten minutes so you can get some fresh air. Taking a break is really important, both during a shift and making sure you use your annual leave. Getting burned out isn’t good for anyone – and looking after our own wellbeing means we’re able to provide the best possible support for our residents too.”
If you want to be part of a strong and supportive team, we are always looking for motivated and caring people to join Team FitzRoy. You can see our current vacancies here.
You can find guidance on how to do a “My Whole Self MOT” as well as other useful resources from Mental Health First Aid England here.
Places to find mental health support